Hi folks,This post is simply a way of satisfying my curiosity and perhaps, that of the gang at Hobie research.

The majority of fishing I do is with a fly rod. A 9' rod does not fit so well in the rod storage tubes and I understand this is by design. I DO use the storage tubes and my reel rests behind the seat, supported by the bungee cords that cross the rear deck. I could break down the tip section and allow the rod to be stored as is meant to be but I've found it easier to use the way I've described.

Another thing that brought this topic to mind is that I go on an annual fishing/camping adventure which lasts 3 weeks and I've whittled the gear down to what I know I'll need. Much of this gear is stored above deck due to the limited space that is needed for a 3 week trip and also the fact that some of it is too large to fit through hatches. Some luxury items sure would be nice to have on such a trip.

If the PA 16' were a reality, I'd be all over it! I'm aware that most people don't use their PA's in this fashion but just wanted to throw this out to see what the response would be. I have no issue with the weight of the 14" and have enough in me at this point that I could handle the extra 15-20 lbs the would be added on a PA 16".

Like I said, just throwing it out there! This should be interesting...

I'm a fly rodder too. I've found 9' rods aren't too bad. As you say, the reel hangs just past the bulkhead behind the seat. Occasionally I’ve taken my 11' switch rod out with me on the PA and that can be a challenge. But, I can't image a PA 16 being very marketable. Hobie obviously went the other direction to the smaller PA 12 based on market feedback and research.

What if you could get something like the Hobie Sidekick Ama Kit and instead of inflatable floats you could get larger rigid floats with a sealed hatch to allow for storage. Kind of like saddle bags. Plus, you would get the added stability when traveling. You could remove them easily at your camp and then head out fishing unencumbered. They might not solve your issue with larger items or your long fly rods, but they could probably store a fair amount of gear and stay afloat. Looking at the Ama rig on the Hobie site, the hardware might need to be beefed up to hadle a load in the floats, but that seems doable.